After Sun Yigao finished treating Tong Jialiang, half an hour had passed, and the night had deepened. After explaining the progress of the treatment and some precautions to Baojian and Han Weishu, Sun Yigao and Liu Yunan bid farewell and left.
Upon leaving the Lin residence, the two headed back to the sect together. Liu Yunan needed to check and handle the sect affairs that had accumulated during his absence, while Sun Yigao intended to take advantage of the remaining nighttime hours to cultivate.
Now, only a few elders who had volunteered to stay behind to tend the crops, along with Sun Yigao, Liu Yunan, and Da Tao, remained in Lingxian Sect. The sect was especially quiet and peaceful under the night sky.
The night passed quickly.
Liu Yunan spent the entire night in the affairs hall. When the first rays of the rising sun began to creep into the room, he realized it was already morning. Stretching in the sunlight, he got up and headed to the sect's storeroom.
Today, he needed to visit the Mo residence in Cuifeng Town to pay his respects to Mo Yuanjiao's grandmother and mother. After all, it was their first time here, and though Mo Yuanjiao was likely taking good care of them, it was still proper for the sect to show the appropriate hospitality.
In the sect's storeroom, Liu Yunan picked out some gifts he had previously purchased in the county for such occasions. He also grabbed some snacks that Fuzi had made before her trip to the cultivation world. With everything ready, he set off for Cuifeng Town.
After chatting for a while with the two elders he had formally met in the capital, and seeing that it was nearing noon, Liu Yunan took his leave. Mo Yuanjiao's mother wanted to invite him to stay for lunch, but Liu Yunan politely declined, explaining that he still had to go to Songyang County. Not wanting to delay his business, she did not insist.
Liu Yunan wasn't just being polite—he really did need to go to Songyang County. After leaving the Mo residence in Cuifeng Town, he headed straight there.
Today was the day Qin Jianghe had arranged to take people to the capital. Qin Jianghe had returned to Lingxiao Escort Agency the previous day and had already chosen the people for this trip to the capital. In addition to Gu Yuxiao and her elder cousin Fang Mancang, he had also selected three trusted workers who had agreed to leave Songyang County with them. The previous night had been spent packing and saying goodbye to their families.
Qin Jianghe had offered these three workers generous terms, including a promise to look after their families, so they were more than willing to go.
When Liu Yunan arrived at Songyang County, five carriages were already lined up outside the Lingxiao Escort Agency. Since Gu Yuxiao was a woman, she had her own carriage for privacy and rest, as well as for cultivation. She had been waiting at the agency after receiving a letter from Qin Jianghe. The inn and tavern in Xiushui Village had already stabilized, and since they were located at the foot of Lingxian Sect, Yang Jinshu could easily come down to oversee them, so Gu Yuxiao's presence wasn't needed there anymore.
Fang Mancang also had his own carriage, as his wife was accompanying him on the journey. They had never traveled so far before, and since they had only been married for a few years, they weren't keen on being separated for too long. It was one thing to see each other every ten days or so while in Songyang County, but this time, Fang Mancang was heading to the capital, and being apart for such a long time was out of the question.
The three workers shared a single carriage, while the other two carriages carried everyone's luggage and some goods. After all, they were supposedly going to the capital to open a shop, so they couldn't show up empty-handed.
Gu Yuxiao and Fang Mancang had stored most of their belongings in their storage bags, but since they didn't want to raise suspicions, they each carried a couple of bundles to maintain appearances.
Although Qin Jianghe was going as well, he didn't plan to travel with them. With his numerous responsibilities, it would be a waste of time to spend so many days on the road in a carriage. So, in front of the workers and other members of the escort agency, he simply said he had some matters to attend to and would catch up with them in the capital later.
When no one was looking, Liu Yunan handed a few formation plates to Qin Jianghe, who discreetly passed them to Gu Yuxiao, advising her, "The uses and methods for these formation plates are recorded on this sound transmission talisman. When you arrive, remember to use them in important places."
After some farewells, the carriage convoy from Lingxiao Escort Agency set off for the capital.
Once they had departed, Liu Yunan took Qin Jianghe into the study in the rear courtyard of the agency, closed the door, and the two began discussing something in low tones.
——
In Bansang City of the cultivation world, the Talisman Master's Tournament was in full swing. The number of participants had been reduced to 2,500, and Liu Chun remained among those who had passed the qualifications.
In recent days, betting had started in Bansang City, with wagers placed on the most promising talisman masters—those who had performed well in the tournament so far or those who were already well-known before the event. The bets were not on who would win first place but rather on who would make it into the top 500 and receive the coveted title plaque awarded by the tournament.
Because of the previous sabotage incident involving Liu Chun, he had attracted significant attention. Now that he had made it to the top 2,500, he was considered one of the tournament's dark horses, and many people were placing bets on him. Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu, however, only placed a modest bet of 100 spirit stones, more as a show of support than out of any doubt in Liu Chun's abilities. They simply felt there was no need to overindulge in betting.
During these days, due to the incident with the Soulstone Powder, Liu Chun had been in frequent contact with the management of Lianyingtang. He had come to know the entire management team well, as they had been thoroughly investigating all aspects of the case. When asked about his background, experiences, and enemies, Liu Chun, sensing the gravity of the situation, truthfully recounted everything except for his connection to Lingxian Sect. Regarding his life after leaving the Wu family, he only mentioned that he had become a wandering cultivator, practicing on his own outside the city.
Since the incident was relatively recent—barely over a year—Lianyingtang's people found his explanation plausible. Given Liu Chun's mediocre cultivation aptitude and his prior role as a lowly servant at the Wu family, it was understandable that he hadn't found another sect to take him in immediately. Additionally, they could see that Liu Chun was somewhat wary of falling into another trap after escaping the Wu family, which explained his decision to remain a wandering cultivator.
After verifying his past with the Wu family and confirming other details, Lianyingtang turned their focus on investigating the Wu family in Yuanling City.